fruitfarming

Upper Coomera is located in the Gold Coast region and was first explored in 1827 by Captain Patrick Logan. It was initial a prominent area for its farming of sugar and maize and timber-getting for red ceder. However, by the 1950’s half of the agriculturalists were dairy farmers and there were also a few banana and fruit farmers[i]. One of these Banana farmers was George Chester, also known as the ‘Banana Case Baron’. He claimed to be the largest single banana producer in the CommonwSource: ealth, growing up to 35 tons per week. He also owned a sawmill in Pimpanan, where he would manufacture the banana cases and use the surplus timber to build new homes, largely in the suburb of Mt. Gravatt. He would become the first Brisbane’s sub-divider and home building[ii].Many of his workers were Italian migrants, who lived in rent free homes and arracks that he built for them[iii Source: queenslandhistory.org/2019/02/george-chester-the-banana-c...

Woombye, a rural township, is in the eastern foothills of the Blackall Range. Immediately south of Nambour, it is 85 km north of Brisbane. It is thought that the name was derived from an Aboriginal word describing the dark foliaged lilly pilly tree or, perhaps, the black snake. Fruit growing, particularly pineapples, was Woombye's economic mainstay. A local fruitgrowers' association was formed in 1898. Pugh's Queensland Directory (1904) recorded Woombye as having several storekeepers, Methodist and Anglican churches, a school of arts and a sawmill. As lumber needed for Brisbane building lessened, a new market for timber emerged with thousands of packing cases for fruit. Pineapple gluts were partially solved by Woombye's local school teacher who organized fast rail transport to carry fruit to southern capitals (1919). Two years later, by local initiative, a pulping plant was opened in Woombye. Pugh's 1925 directory described Woombye as being the centre of a large fruit-growing district, producing strawberries, citrus, bananas and pineapples in great quantities. Woombye's identification with the pineapple industry came to the fore with the opening of the Big Pineapple tourist attraction in 1971, a 16 metre fiberglass structure with an internal staircase and a lookout. It closed in 2010 when negotiations began to sell the site to the Bowden family, with plans to redevelop it to incorporate their extensive collection of motor racing vehicles. Source: queenslandplaces.com.au/woombye

Banana Tree Flowers The female banana flower emerges out of the top of a stalk. These produce the ovaries that develop into the "hands" that are part of every stalk of banana fruits. Needing no pollination, they develop into the iconic seedless fruit found in every supermarket in the United States. Once the fruits have all appeared, the flower elongates, producing a long tail with a large, red bud hanging upside-down at the end. This bud contains the male organs. All these parts have their own botanical names: The thick stalk that attaches to the pseudostem and supports the female flower is the "peduncle," while the rough, elongated tail emerging from the bottom of the bananas is the "rachis." The fruit itself is simply the "bunch." From Banana Flowers to Fruit You may be dreaming of harvesting your own bananas, but unless you have at least 18 months of continuous warm weather in your location with no frosts or freezes, you merely have an ornamental banana in your landscape. Banana flowers and their accompanying fruit usually appear in late summer and then winter over, ripening in mid-spring, according to California Rare Fruit Growers, but an unexpected freeze will abort the process. Sometimes, banana stalks appear in summer instead and ripen before winter. Harvest the entire banana fruit stalk at one time when the bananas are still green, but plump; then hang it in a cool, dry location and cut off the "hands" as needed. Alternatively, harvest individual hands for tree-ripened fruit. Be careful, however, because ripe bananas are perfect bait for rodents, who are adept at eating the insides and making it appear as if the fruit is untouched. To encourage faster ripening, cover the stalk with a plastic bag. Source: homeguides.sfgate.com/banana-tree-bloom-stages-57944.html